“They’re really good,” Atkins head coach Tommy Cody said of the Camden Harmony Grove Hornets (6-3-1)— the team his Red Devils (5-4) will face in the first round of the playoffs tonight.

“They’re ranked fifth or sixth in the state,” he said. “They finished third in their conference, but that’s a tough conference. They’re a very, very talented football team.

“They’re big. They’re fast. They’re physical. Defensively they’re very, very tough against the run. They haven’t given up very man yards on the run. Offensively they run spread, but they like to run it first and then throw it. They’ve got some kids that can really fly.”

Meanwhile, Atkins has lost seven starters due to injury. And they won’t be back for tonight’s game, either. Five of the injuries were players who played on both sides of the ball. One of them was quarterback Ty Ennis, who shattered his index finger on his throwing hand against Mansfield.

In order to have success during the game, Cody plans to play a game of keep-away.

“We want to put together long drives and spend plenty of time in the huddle,” he said. “We want to get plenty of first downs and throw and catch the ball. We’re going to have to control the tempo of the game and keep the ball out of their hands as much as possible.”

More importantly, the Red Devils will need to find a way to complete drives before running out of steam. In the later games of the season, Atkins has been able to move the ball well against teams, but unable to put points on the scoreboard.

“We’re going to have to move the ball well and finish the drive with the touchdown, no question.” Cody said. “We’ve just got to come up with points when we go on those drives.”

Dardanelle Sand Lizards

The Dardanelle Sand Lizards (8-2) face a monumental task when they face the Pocahontas Redskins Friday at Keenan field. Monumental — but not impossible. Dardanelle head coach Josh Price said the Redskins (7-3) bring a lot of size to field.

Price has prepared his team for the size differential by running plenty of tackling and hitting drills, where he instructs them to aim low.

Excitement surrounds Dardanelle High School and the football team as they move in to the playoffs. Price said it isn’t a negative thing.

“They were excited last week when we won,” Price said. “And they’ll be excited at the pep rally, but mostly they just come to practice and put in the work. I’m hoping they can carry that into the games with them.”